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HOUSE COMMITS TO ETHICS REFORM
Adjourns as Productive
Legislative Session Comes to a Close
On Saturday, May 28, the
Tennessee House of Representatives adjourned, having completed its work
for the year. Over 2,400 bills were introduced during this half of
the General Assembly and were heard during the 49 legislative days used.
Our priorities for the 2005
session, from the opening gavel in January, were clear. Putting
the people of Tennessee first, we set as our goal to pass real ethics
reform now rather than posturing ourselves politically through
rhetoric and propaganda. We achieved this by:
• Fighting
opposition attempts to delay passage of HB 1, a bill that
prohibits members of the General Assembly from taking money to
influence legislation. We listened to the voters and fought to
provide an environment in which legislators can act ethically and
still do their jobs;
• Sponsoring and passing HB 1090 and HB 1098 which close
gaping loopholes in campaign finance regulations; and
• Appointing a select committee to examine over the break
appropriate ways for the House to police itself in regard to
ethic-violation charges. Among the ideas to be discussed by
this committee are establishing a permanent and independent Ethics
Commission, examining the role of the Registry of Election Finance
and ways to review ethic-violation complaints.
We remained focused and
achieved this goal. Additionally, we were able to achieve marked success
on the other components of our 2005 Legislative Agenda.
• Balance the
state budget with no new taxes.
• Expand the Pre-K Program. Using excess lottery
revenue, this program will provide thousands of at-risk students an
early start on their education. (HB 2333)
• Improve the creation and retention of jobs.
The “Tennessee Jobs Growth Act of 2005” allows the Department of
Economic Development to fast track certain infrastructure
development and job training assistance programs. (HB 2287)
• Lower the cost of prescription drugs.
Legislation was approved which will lower the cost of drugs to
TennCare patients by requiring the use of generic drugs unless the
prescribing doctor specifically notes otherwise, saving the state
millions on TennCare prescription drug costs. (HB 1410)
• Crack down on the scourge of methamphetamine abuse.
The “Meth-free Tennessee Act of 2005” is a comprehensive step toward
ending this menace. It places items containing pseudoephedrine
behind the counter, closes the personal use loophole and expands the
ability of our law enforcement personnel to react as the drug
culture changes and restrict the sale of other ingredients as they
are used to make methamphetamine. (HB 2334)
• Change health care so that those who really need it will
have it. The Governor’s Safety Net Task Force
presented its recommendations to provide a soft landing for those
who are removed from the TennCare roles. Working with the
governor, we reached a tentative agreement with some TennCare
advocates and stakeholders to preserve health coverage for
approximately 100,000 of the sickest and neediest enrollees in
exchange for legal relief from the Grier Consent Decree.
We accomplished each of
these tasks and more. Listening to the citizens in our districts,
we also addressed other issues that you told us are important to you.
• Protected our
investment in Tennessee’s children by fully funding the Basic
Education Program (BEP).
• Created strict new Anti-Drug Legislation: House Bill 291
expands the scope of Tennessee's Drug Free Zones to include
secondary schools, preschools, child care agencies, public
libraries, recreational centers and parks and House Bill 191
protects the safety of Tennessee's drivers by revoking the license
and taking away the cars of those who use a motor vehicle to
transport meth.
• Expanded the Legislative Broadcasting program so that House
session now reaches over 1 million households on cable and an
unlimited number via the Internet.
• Approved new Consumer Protection legislation so that Social
Security numbers are not printed on driver's licenses and complete
credit card numbers are not printed on vendor receipts.
I look forward to now
returning home, spending time with my family, listening to my
constituents and preparing for the next legislative session in January.
During the course of the summer and fall, if there is any assistance I
can provide to you, please do not hesitate to call me at 615-741-4400 or
email me at
rep.jim.hackworth@legislature.state.tn.us.
Rep. Jim Hackworth
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